Samuel markham brydges



No. 622,940. Patented Apr. n, |899.

- s. m, Bnvnes.

LETTER FILE.

(Lpplition led Aug. 12, 1898.)

i NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL MARKHAM BRYDGES, OF NELSON, CANADA, ASSIGN OR TO CHARLES y DAVIDJOHN CHRISTIE, OF SAME PLACE.

LETTER-FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,940, dated April11, 1899. i

Application filed August 12, 1898. Serial No. 688,414. (No model.)

To @ZZ who-7n 'it nea/y concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL MARKHAM BRYDGES,of Nelson,in the Province ofBritish Columbia and Dominion of Canada, have invented'a new andImproved Letter-File, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to an improvement in letter-files of that sort inwhich letters are placed within a case which opens after the manner of abook.

My invention comprises the novel features hereinafter described andclaimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the igures. y

Figure l is a perspective view of a file made in accordance with myinvention and partially open. Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the stripsto which the letters are fastened for insertion in the case. Fig. 3 isla plan view of one of the letter-sheets to be secured to the strip'shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the Case open,and Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the index-sheets.

The object of my invention is to provide a means for filing away lettersby which the letters maybe indexed as received and readily removed fromor replaced in the file.

The -iile in general appearance resembles a case having a back portion Aand two side portions B hinged thereto and provided with end pieces, sothat when closed the case resembles a book. The back portion A forms ashallow trough, across which at two or more points extend pins H, towhich the letters are secured when placed in the le. The file is alsoprovided with a number of index-sheets, one of which is shown separatelyin Fig. 5. These index-sheets are provided with a hinge near their rearedge, thus dividing the sheet into two parts-the body G, upon which therecord is to be made, and the narrow strip Cr at the back. The strip Glies within the back portion A of the case and is provided with holes g,adapted to receive the pins H. The index-sheets are permanently securedin the case, or, at least, may not be removed without removing the pinsH. The number of these index-sheets provided for each case will dependupon the number of letters of the alphabet on the index-sheets used withthe case. The upper ends of the side portions. B of the case arepreferably hinged, as shown at B', and the upper end of the back portionis provided with a hinged member C.

In order to secure the letters within the case, a series of strips D,one of which is shown in Fig. 2, 'is provided. These strips arepreferably made of paper of no great thickness, but of considerablestrength. In their back edges the strips are provided with curved slotsd, corresponding in number and position with the number and position ofthe pins H, and upon their forward edge the strips are pro,- vided withprojecting ears E, which are gummed upon one side.

In preparing a letter-sheet for insertion in l the case the gum med earsE are moistened and the edge of the letter is placed thereon and presseddown until it has become securely attached. The letter-sheet, with thestrip attached thereto, is then placed within the case in the locationindicated by the name of the writer of the letter. The notches d inthestrip are then slipped over the pins H, which secures the letter inposition in the case, so that it will not be removed by accident, but sothat it may be readily removed by raising the letter-sheet. At thetime'when the lettersheet is inserted in the case it is indexed upon theproper index sheet. This enables the letters to be kept in such orderthat they may be readily removed from their place in the case and alsopreserves an index showing just where'the letter is to be found and whatletters each case contains.

The horizontal lines of the index-sheets are each to be devoted to itsparticular correspondent and the vertical divisions to be devotedalternately to letters inward or vthose received and to letters outwardor those writn ten in answer. In this event the figures inserted underletters outward may refer to the page of the letter-book, or carboncopies may be used and inserted in this tile as are the letters inward,in which case it refers to the pages of the file. This dispenses withthe necessity for the ordinary letter-book index.

IOO

Having thus fully described uiyinvention, l strips each provided with aslot curved in- I claim as nevv and desire to secure by Letters Patent-A temporary binder, having a back in the form of atrou gh, the sides andone end thereof being rigid, a hinged member serving to close the otherend of the back and mounted to swing on the back, side portionsconnected with the back to swing thereon, a transverse Io pin secured inthe back, and letter-holding Wardly and thence longitudinally, the slotserving to engage with the pin, and the hinged member of the backserving normally to prevent the endvvise movement of the letter- 1 yholding sheets, to displace the same.

SAMUEL MARKHAM BRYDGES.

Vitnesses:

W. A. MACDONALD, M. DES BUSAY.

